This article at 6mmBR.com, a competitive shooters site, compares a number of the leading gun care products for their rust protection value. It's a VERY useful article, as they coat pieces of metal with the common gun solvents, then expose them to moisture, and then take pictures at various stages, showing how well they protect.

Bottom line: When focusing strictly on rust prevention, the two best popular gun care solvents to use--by far--are Eezox and CorrosionX. No other solvent, including Breakfree CLP, was able to keep the metal relatively free of rust after only 43 hours of exposure to a corrosive water spray with 2% salt. Another popular gun solvent that did incredibly poorly in this test is FP10. FP10 is known as a great lube, but it is horrible--pathetic--at rust prevention, and is also a mediocre cleaner. So if you use FP10 or Breakfree CLP, make sure you are using other solvents--or a dry safe with a golden rod or silica chips--to keep your guns free of rust.

In this picture, the cleanest piece of metal is the one coated with Eezox, the next best is CorrosionX, and the one at the lower right is Breakfree CLP. I would sure like to find a more recent study that also includes some of the newer products for rust-protection, such as the new Mpro-7 CLP product that I've been using. But at the very least, you can know if you're using Eezox or CorrosionX, you're getting outstanding rust protection on your firearms, as well as great lubrication (both are known as being outstanding gun lubes as well).

By the way, here is another test that was performed, and this one also used Eezox, and threw Ballistol into the mix. Again, FP10 did poorly. But Ballistol will also do an incredibly effective job of rust protection, as many such tests have shown.

I like Gunzilla, and would still recommend it along with Ballistol as probably the two best "all-in-one" products I have used. But I always keep tinkering with and trying to improve what I use, and I've found that like most areas in life (whether buying all-in-one stereo components, gun cleaners, or whatever), you simply CANNOT get the best results out of something that tries to be all things combined in one. I found that Gunzilla, like Ballistol before it, simply cannot do all things effectively. It didn't clean well enough, thoroughly enough (left too much copper in the barrel) or quickly enough, and worst of all, you cannot buy it in bulk so it is VERY expensive per ounce. Run the numbers sometime on what Gunzilla costs per ounce, and compare it to the other cleaners you can buy in bulk; it's VERY expensive. I still think it is worth getting Gunzilla if you're determined to use an all-in-one--it's a good solvent--but I also think there are better alternatives than the all-in-one approach that give you more effective maintenance on your guns.

Essentially I think you get the best results by dividing your maintenance solvents into two items: something for cleaning, and something for lubing/protecting. It's possible you could get even better results by dividing the lube/protection aspects as well, but so far, I haven't invesigated that yet. It's worth pointing out that, if you find an effective cleaner, you might still use Gunzilla as the lube/protection component of your maintenance regimen.

The key point here is not WHICH solvents I use (I think a LOT of different solvents are effective at cleaning), the point is to use one solvent that specializes in cleaning, and something else for lubing and protecting. That's what has finally started getting me the results I want. So what I use is Mpro-7/Hoppes Elite cleaner for regular cleaning, and Mpro-7/Hoppes Elite CLP for my lube/protection. The CLP is good for all general-purpose use, like in the field or at the range. Also, I've started using Sharp Shootr's Wipe-Out (on the recommendation of the competition shooters at 6mmBr.com), but I just use that periodically, to get copper deposits out of the bore.

I think the key thing is to find a cleaner you like, and a lube/protectant you like, and then something in addition for occasional deep-cleaning in your bore. Will you have to have 3 or 4 solvents sitting on your shelf? Yes, but if you want results, that's what I think will get them the most effectively.

It's kinda like when you buy a printer or a camera. The all in one does it all but each thing it does is worse quality than a dedicated item.

I did a science product on this when I was in like 4th grade and I tested about 10 different products using strips of steel and saltwater and a spray bottle. I also live in Mississippi so that helped. I seem to remember WD-40 doing the worst and some sort of silicon or teflon based spray doing the best.

I know use ED's Red to clean and lube my guns and I have not had any rust issues as of yet. I finally found a place to get the lanolin (surprise it is where I work) and I put some on our next order to go out.

Besides if you do not clean and lube your guns at least once/twice a year they get lonely. How would you like to be locked in a dark safe all year round? Let them out to get some fresh air!

An interesting note on CorrosionX. If you're a believer in using what leading gun pros and writers use, then CorrosionX gets some strong support from the guy who I would say is my favorite living writer--Dick Metcalf. He's been writing about, and using guns, for more years than I've been alive. Currently he reviews for Shooting Times. I love his reviews: they're always practical, he always provides thorough accuracy testing with multiple 5-shot groups, and always gives you very in-depth, technical insight on the fine details of how a gun works, not just "surfacey" comments about the window dressing.

But notice that Dick doesn't advocating use CorrosionX as an all-in-one, which is my perspective as well, because you can get things more clean, and get MUCH faster results, by using products specialized for cleaning. I think a dynamite combo, as I indicate before, could be something like the Mpro-7 Gun cleaner for all-purpose cleaning, CorrosionX for all lubing and protecting, and maybe something for your bore that you use occasionally. He advocates using CorrosionX as the lube and rust protectant, but something else for your bore in particular. He mentions a foaming bore cleaner in a recent email: an example would be the Wipe-Out product that I reviewed in the other thread recently.

Here's his email reply. I sent this to him, because CorrosionX quotes him on their site as endorsing their product, but those comments are 6 or 7 years old, and I wanted to know if Dick still uses CorrosionX. He does.

"I still use CorrosionX regularly, especially for any heavy-use, rapid-fire gun that runs hot (AR15s, M1911s). For bore cleaner/fouling remover, any of the new "foaming" bore cleaners are best (they all work equally well); they are the least messy, do not give off noxious fumes, and are much easier to use (without endless patch-pulling)."

Many of us have been using CorrosionX for a few years now. It's simply the best product available currently for corrosion protection. I find Eezox to be a close runner up.
I'm currently trying Weapon Shield from FP-10 founder, Geo. Fennell. It should give the others a run for the $$

BTW, Mike T, owner of CorrosionX is a great guy and was providing samples upon request. info@corrosionx.com

I would really love to see a detailed study that compares some of these newer lubes, like the Mpro-7 CLP I've been using lately, to CorrosionX, and also to Eezox. From what I've seen, Eezox wins on the long-term rust protection in a head-to-head comparison (see above study as a case in point), but other things Ive read indicate that CorrosionX is probably the superior lube, and meanwhile, it's ALMOST as good as Eezox at rust protection, plus it doesn't have that annoying smell. Ultimately, I think anyone using either Mpro or CorrosionX or Eezox is going to get great results for lube and protection, you can hardly go wrong with these products.

I'm not sure I totally trust the base CorrosionX formulation as a "superior lube" as that is not what the product was specifically designed for.

While the aircraft and heavy-duty grades may have better lubrication qualities - and I'm not really sure of even that - I do rely upon the red aerosol can, or the CorrosionX for Guns edition (same thing) for superior protection and use it on most of my defense tools with conviction and satisfaction.

It may be adequate for lubrication purposes in our specific application, but I would not give it a "superior" ranking - if grading figures into your selection process.

You may be right. But I've always felt that it was among the very best lubricants I've used (comparing it to other things I've used, but I'm admitting there are certainly things out there I haven't tried yet). And the company (as well as some of their leading gun mag reviewers) seems to claim lubrication as a primary selling point. I'd be interested to hear about any limitations you've found in the lubrication area.

From the CorrosionX site:

A MULTI-FUNCTIONAL PRODUCTIn addition to its corrosion fighting properties, CorrosionX is also a super lubricant and penetrant. It lubricates under heavy loads and high temperatures. Use it on sheaves, hinges, locks, cables/wire ropes, windlasses or other rotating devices. It is ideal for fishing reels and guns. And, CorrosionX penetrates like nothing you've ever used. Corroded or rusted nuts, bolts or fittings can usually be removed within a few minutes.
From Dick Metcalf comments on CorrosionX in Shooting Times:

As a lubricant, CorrosionX offers a lower coefficient of friction than even PTFE-fortified products ( the Teflon, semiteflon, and other polymer-bead compounds). Plus, since it's specifically designed for high-temperature(s), it doesn't burn off or sublimate away during hot-action use. I recently used it to lube the yoke/crane cylinder-rotation shafts of two .357 Magnum revolvers during a 10,000-round endurance review, where 500-round strings were standard. CorrosionX worked longer and better than anything I've used before. The cylinder/yoke areas would get too hot to touch, but the lube did not dry up and was visibly still "moist" when I pulled off the cylinder. From Chris Christian comments on CorrosionX in Gun World:

CorrosionX, obviously, does not trap firing residue within the gun. It is superior to any other lubricant I have ever used for .22-rimfire actions. In fact, I was pretty much astonished at its performance!

I'm currently trying Weapon Shield from FP-10 founder, Geo. Fennell. It should give the others a run for the $.

SD

Just a word of caution, not telling you what to do, but suggesting you might want to investigate. My understanding from my research is that FP10 does nicely as a lube (among the top tier), but fails miserably at long range corrosion protection. In fact, it is in the above tests, and I've seen it in other similar tests where it quickly breaks down. Now if you have another rust protectant that you use anyway, or if FP10 is "good enough" for the area you live and you don't have any problems, then obviously it will be a fine choice. Just saying you might want to look into this.

Hi, I'm looking for a product to protect my rifle chamber/bore from corrosion while in use in harsh environments, by "use" I mean carrying and shooting the weapon, not storage. Something I can do a final treatment of the chamber/bore with after cleaning that will protect it from corrosion but not have some of the reported negative effects on cold shot accuracy when using something like CLP with teflon. Would the EEZOX product be appropriate for this use?

The three best products I know about for the purpose you mention would be the following. Any of them would be equally effective at this task of protecting your bore; Eezox is good but I'll tell you the reason I don't use it personally (and many others don't) is it has a VERY strong and toxic sort of smell. You probably won't want to use it in the house, or your family won't! If that doesn't bother you, by all means, Eezox is a great choice. You can buy the first two items below at MidwayUSA.com. CorrosionX you can buy from various dealers, just Google the name.

Just a word of caution, not telling you what to do, but suggesting you might want to investigate. My understanding from my research is that FP10 does nicely as a lube (among the top tier), but fails miserably at long range corrosion protection. In fact, it is in the above tests, and I've seen it in other similar tests where it quickly breaks down. Now if you have another rust protectant that you use anyway, or if FP10 is "good enough" for the area you live and you don't have any problems, then obviously it will be a fine choice. Just saying you might want to look into this.

Not to engage in "less filling... taste great" but nowhere in my post do I endorse FP-10 as a lube or anti corrosive. I merely pointed out that Geo Fennell the developer of MPC's FP-10 has an excellent reputation for product development and now is on his own with what many say is a terriffic and greatly improved product. I'm about to begin using his Weapon Shield as a gun CLP.
Perhaps you would like to share your empirical research and subsequent results as it relates to FP-10.
As to tangling over it's usefulness I'll let Shooter's Choice and MPC deal with those accuracies or lack thereof.
BTW, I thought I clearly stated that I use Eezox and CorrosionX exclusively for lubrication and corrosion prevention. Let me check.........Yep, I sure did!

No worries, SD. I was just trying to give a friendly heads-up that you might want to investigate whether FP-10 will give you good corrosion protection, based on some of the test results. I didn't mean to offend. Also I realize now that I misunderstood your post, and thought you were trying FP-10 itself, but see now that you are trying Weapon Shield. That product in particular I know nothing about, and have not seen any tests involving it yet. But will update here if I do. Cheers!

After I put WS through the normal or abnormal use process I'll let you know my findings, Timlt. I'm in a rather dry area but should be able to simulate a corrosive environment as well.

I think most here would agree on Eezox being outstanding product for protection from rust but other products might be better candidates for lubrication. CorrosionX heretofore has been the best of both worlds for my money. The cleaning properties of FP-10, CorrosionX and even Eezox all seem to be more than acceptable, though my personal favorite cleaner is a homebrew.

The Eezox does have a distinctive smell but it seems to be an artificial fragrance added rather than toxic smell. Perhaps they have changed it.
I know at one time they had container problems enabling the expensive product to evaporate. That problem has since been remedied.

We might not watch what we put in our bodies but darn it all we do like to provide the very finest for our firearms.... don't we?

You may be right. But I've always felt that it was among the very best lubricants I've used (comparing it to other things I've used, but I'm admitting there are certainly things out there I haven't tried yet).

Frankly, I haven't had any specific lubrication related issues with the Marine edition. However, I have yet to test it in cold weather, nor have I stumbled across any reports of performance in sub-zero temperatures. Until I see, or experience, operation in very cold conditions I will withold the Red Badge of Corrosion and Lubrication Performance.

But as I said previously, to date I have been happy with the lubrication and protection aspects of CorrosionX (red/Marine/Guns). I typically rotate between several other products for cleaning - so I won't comment on that. But I will instead refer to your writeups which I thoroughly enjoy reading. Good work Timit!

[Updated]. Ah, I found the problem. For want of a nail, the kingdom was lost! Your URL fails to add the "L" on the end of the file extension. It should end with "html", not just "htm". When I add that, now it works perfectly. I think the reason your browser was still getting you there, is that some browsers will still work on an "htm" if there is a file with the same base name. I am using Firefox, and it apparently will not resolve ".htm" when the full URL is ".html". Mystery solved!

As for the test itself, it does have some useful material. I only wish it was more recent, so that it would include some of the more recent products that people are looking at these days. Items such as: Mpro-7, CorrosionX, Gunzilla, Ballistol, etc. But it's still useful for evaluating Breakfree, Eezox, etc.

CorrosionX is pretty much the standard for lube/protection for saltwater fishing reels with me and most of the people I know. I use 2 different types. The CorrosionX spray for innards & exterior wipedown. Inside it penetrates then sets up to almost grease-like. It stays where ya put it. This keeps it out of drag washers, which is good.

They also have a thinner oil for ball bearings (SpeedX). The thin oil induces less friction in the bearing. It also requires more frequent maintenance.

The CorrosionX products supposedly do not attack monofilament fishing line (I've never tested this) so I would guess they are safe for grips & other rubber & plastic bits. I would hesitate to test it on nice wood gun furniture, but feel free if ya like. Post up the results here!

Thanks for all this info. I hadn't considered CorrosionX for my guns but they will be getting it from now on. In my experience they make excellent products.

I realize this is an old thread and maybe getting in on the "tail-end" of things; but I still have a question after reading through the thread.

Admittedly, my question may have been addressed above and I just missed it.

I see where products such as CorrosionX and gunzilla are named as good lubs; but not so good at basic cleaning.
Since they both seem to claim some preventative properties in their individual descriptions; does anyone have opinion of their "long-term" effect on cleaning?

In other words, if one of these products is used, then does it make the next cleaning easier? Do they, in fact, provide a surface to which fouling does not bind as bad, thus making follow-up cleaning easier?

Although I have not run a controled test, I have found the carbon that coats the gas system on my semi-auto shotgun easier to remove after first being coated with gunzilla.